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THE ANGELS.

WHEN night brings on the silent hours,
And puts its dews upon the flowers,
I think upon the starry sky,
For there the holy angels fly.

You tell me that a watch they keep
O'er Jesus' children when they sleep,
Perhaps there is a shining road
By which they come to our abode.

Say does the lark, which sings so well,
Know where it is the angels dwell?
When upward to yon blue it springs,
Then does it hear their waving wings?

If I could only learn to fly,

I soon would mount into the sky

To see their home, what flowers are there, And how the stars abide in air.

My child, it is not here below

That we these secret things may know;
God puts them in his holy place,
Until his children see his face.

But if we have our sins forgiven,
And hope at last to go to heaven,
We shall the holy angels see,
When time itself has ceased to be.

Foster, Printer, Kirkby Lonsdale.

J. H.

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The following interesting fact was related by the Rev. P. Kent, Visitor for the British and Foreign Bible Society.

AFTER an absence of some years, a minister returned for a Sunday to the place where he had formerly preached the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. When the services of the day were over, a widow knocked at the vestry door, and requested an interview. "Do you not remember me, sir?" said the widow, "Not at this moment," was the reply. "Do you not remember my John?" "No." Why, he was at your Sunday

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school." "That may be, but I cannot promise to remember every boy that has been in the school." "But, sir," said the widow, very easnestly, "my John was the best John in all the world." "That may be too, still I cannot say that I remember him." "But I am sure that my John is the best John in all the world, and you will say so too, when you have heard what has happened since you left us some years ago." And then the poor widow gave the minister the following interesting account of her John :

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"After you left us, sir, my husband died, and we became very poor; indeed, we were almost starving. And one day my John said to me, Mother dear, we cannot starve, and there is no work to be got, let me go to sea for a time, and try to earn some money for you.' I was very loth to part from him, but times were bad, and as he seemed so anxious about it, I gave him a parting kiss, and he went to the nearest port to seek for a berth in a merchant vessel. John tried in many quarters, but he could not succeed for some days; and he was almost going to give up in despair, when he saw the master of a ship passing by. 'Do you want a boy, sir?' said John. Why, that is the very thing I am looking for,' said the captain. 'Do then, sir, take me.' Well, where is your character ?' Sir, nobody knows me here; in my own parish I could easily get a character, but I am a stranger in these parts.' 'I cannot

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take you without a character.' 'But I will be very obedient; I will do all that you tell me.' That is fine talking, my boy, but I tell you I must have a character, or I cannot take you with me.' John looked thoughtful and sad for a moment; and then he bethought himself of his pocket Bible, which had been given him as a reward in the Sunday-school. Opening the Bible where the inscription was written, before the captain, Will that do, sir, for a character?" The captain read the following:

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'PRESENTED TO JOHN REYNOLDS,

For his good behaviour in

Sunday school.

Date.'

666

Ay, ay, my boy, I will take you on this recommendation; come along with me.'

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John was accordingly shipped in a merchant vessel for St. Petersburg. A few days after, a storm arose, and the wind blew a hurricane, and the waves dashed over the ship, and the danger became frightfully great. John took his pocket Bible, and read in a loud and solemn voice, the fiftyfirst Psalm. On his bended knee did that rough sailor boy cry to that God who alone can appease the raging storm. And one by one, one after another, did the sailors and the mate and the captain kneel down by that sailor boy, whilst he read the Psalm at the top of his voice. And it pleased God to hear their united supplication. Never was it said to the seed of Jacob, "Seek ye

me in vain." The captain used to say to John, in the after part of the voyage, "It was a good day for me, my boy, when I shipped you your prayers saved my ship -when we get to St. Petersburg you shall have a holiday."

They came to St. Petersburg: according to promise, John had the holiday. Boylike, he must needs go to the emperor's palace, to see all the great people go to court. And as carriage after carriage passed by in John's wondering gaze, something dropt at his feet. It was a bracelet, which had fallen from a lady's hand. John picked it up, and called aloud to the coachman to stop; but in vain: the crowd and the noise prevented John from being noticed, and he returned to the captain with the bracelet. "You are a lucky boy," said the captain; "these are diamonds.' "But they are NOT MINE. "How did you come by them?" "I picked them up, and I called to the driver to stop, but he drove on, and did not hear me." "You did, then, all that you could do under the circumstances," said the captain, "and they are clearly yours." "No, captain, they are NOT MINE.' John was too honest and simple-minded to be caught by the captain's guile. "Why, you foolish boy, let me have the diamonds, and when I get to London, I will sell them for you; they will fetch lots of money." "That may be, captain, but they are not mine; and, captain, suppose that we should

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